Member of

Sambal Oelek

Thicker than sauce, thinner than salsa, sambal oelek is a fresh-ground paste made of chili peppers, salt, and sometimes vinegar, lime juice, lemongrass, or brown sugar. The heat of the sambal depends entirely on the variety of peppers.

Most of the time, you just buy it in the grocery store (it’s that easy), and it lasts for up to 6 months in the refrigerator. You could probably keep it longer, but mine’s normally gone by the 3rd month.